[open] verdant moon catchall

[snowslip]

Who: Marianne & you
Where: Aldrip
What: August catchall
Warnings: None



i. a clean break

[ If you live at the inn, Marianne can be found going in and out of her room with a broom tidying. Having decided that she should cease shutting herself away so much, it feels like the right time to sort out the mess her room had become.

After an hour spent clanking around and moving things, her room does not look any cleaner despite her efforts. In fact, it's messier than before. How? Her real curse may be her inability to organize anything. So, she's resorted to boxing up the items she wants to part with and moving it out into the hall, with apologies to anyone who has to step around her pile. ]

Sorry about the mess. I'm doing a bit of tidying. If you'd like any of this, please, help yourself.

[ She gestures to the box of goods she's planning to rehome. There are jugs, pressed flowers, candles, books... ]

ii. uncanny admiration

[ Despite being fond of gardens, Marianne has largely avoided the botanical gardens where the statues of the Chosen are on display. She finds her own image carved in marble too embarrassing, too shameful for someone who had brought the town ruin not too long ago. With her newfound determination (and feeling plagued by it long enough), she arranges for her statue to be taken down and dismantled.

The next day, she thinks she can finally stroll the garden in peace...that is, until she sees an incredibly detailed carving of herself erected in a new location, again engraved with the words Savior of Aldrip. Oh, how those words make her hide her face in her hands. ]

It's back? I don't understand how.

iii. (don't) stop to smell the flowers

[ Marianne feels most at peace in the Aldrip meadows, though she still feels guilty whenever she comes across a strip of devastated land. She's taken to helping the fairies with their work to restore nature, bringing them seeds and whatever they request. This afternoon, however, she has trouble keeping her eyes open. The flower's sweet scent, the gentle breeze, the calmness all lull her to close her eyes and lay down in the grass. Once she's drifted off, birds gather around her still form, and one plucks at her hairband as she sleeps. ]

Comments

i

[usarinpa]

[ Mizuki's pace slows as she passes Marianne's room, and she doesn't say anything right away, but there is a natural nosiness that comes with being an investigator. She certainly lingers, and at first, she might suspect that Marianne is moving.

The girl is quick to clarify though, breaking Mizuki out of her brief silence.

She nods, and is ready to keep walking but then... ]

You're... You're just giving it away?

Re: i

[snowslip]

Yes. It's been some moons since I arrived here, and before I knew it, things built up.

[ Was that strange? Absently, she picks up one of the numerous candles giving the box a nice floral smell. She's had them for many months now, ever since she and Rinoa had used the excess flowers from the festival to make them. Marianne wonders where her friend is now and if she's doing well. ]

I'd like to find a new home for some of these instead of throwing them away.

[usarinpa]

[ Not really strange. It just... could come in handy one day, if she ever has to barter, Mizuki thinks. But from the looks of things, Marianne might just have plenty leftover for that anyway. Mizuki, by contrast, doesn't have a whole lot of material possessions, save for the clothes she's gotten out of necessity, so she finds herself drawn to everything. Especially the smell.

She's not a flower person, even if she knows more about them now than she did before the Day of Devotion, but she thinks she recognizes some of these smells. She approaches, leaning forward to take a whiff. ]

I didn't really come prepared, but maybe I could take a couple off your hands. My roommate might like one. Or...

Well, I guess I have two now.

[snowslip]

Please take as many as you want. I could box them up for you, if you'd like.

[ Not to sound too eager, but she's glad someone is interested in taking the candles home. She's terrible at cleaning stuff out, which is how she's come to accumulate things. It makes her think of the passage of time. Who knew she would be in Aldrip for so long? (She tries not to think about the words on the parchment and what she's here for.)

Marianne gestures to the two candles the girl picked out. ]

They have different scents, too. This one's lavender, and this one's jasmine and lemongrass.

[usarinpa]

[ A box would make them more convenient to carry, and she'd probably be able to take more, but does she really need to? As she's pondering how many she really needs, Mizuki takes the one identified as lavender in her hands. What a pleasant scent, and a relaxing feeling.

Her eyes wander towards the jasmine and lemongrass scented candle; and next to it, there is one that a familiar shade of red. ]

And that one—rose, right? I don't know a whole lot about flowers... Are they supposed to have different effects?

[snowslip]

That's right. [ Marianne smiles faintly. ] Some flowers have healing properties when consumed, but in candles, the difference is mainly in the fragrance.

[ Some people prefer the smell of rose, some prefer lavender. She remembers pressing flowers with her mother once upon a time, preserving the delicate and beautiful blossom between the pages of books. Aldrip has always reminded her of her childhood home. ]

Personally, I think they all smell nice. The flowers were grown locally, too. These came from Astralin's farm.

[usarinpa]

Oh!

[ She does seem like the 'I like them all,' type. Astralin's name does perk her up though, and it's obvious Mizuki knows him. ]

I was actually heading over there. I helped him build it, and ever since then, I've just kinda been working there. [ Beats retail. She scratches her head a bit sheepishly. ] Hey, do you think he would like some of these?

ii

[entreats]

[ Ange likes spending as little time at the inn as possible - things are just way too crowded for the girl back there, and even though there might not necessarily be a whole lot to do out in town, even just wandering around by herself is better than being stuck in a way too busy and noisy place.

It's how she finds herself wandering through the gardens. Not having been present in town when the statues were erected, Ange has no idea why they are there, nor has she really been busy questioning it too hard when none of the other people in town apparently ever seen to do so. She can figure it's something that must have happened before she showed up in this strange world.

.. in fact, Marianne standing there and looking embarrassed in front of one of said statues - one that's definitely her twin in appearance - is the first time Ange has really seen anyone react to them at all. ]

Back?

[ Hence why Ange can't help but finally question it out loud herself - even if it means being very direct with that single-word question aimed at poor embarrassed Marianne.. ]

[snowslip]

[ The Marianne in stone is posed angelically, one arm outstretched to the sky, a marble bird perched on her unmoving fingertips. Her expression is serene, nothing like the mortified look the flesh and blood Marianne wears when she realizes someone else has passed by and seen her statue. It's no fault of the young woman's though, who Marianne turns to red-faced. ]

Oh, it's just. They carved these statues of us Chosen a while ago. I had mine taken down, but they've simply put up another one.

[ She'd emphasized to the townspeople that she didn't deserve the recognition - she felt so far from a hero - but they wouldn't hear of her concerns. ]

[entreats]

Oh.

[ At least it's a simple observational sound, without any real judgement in it. Sure, it still makes poor Marianne only look even more embarrassed next to Ange, who seems so calm and collected about all of this, but at least it doesn't seem like Ange is really questioning why Marianne had hers taken down..

She can kind of understand the mortifying ordeal of Being Known, after all. ]

Sounds like they're really dedicated to this, huh? [ .. not really helping there, Ange. But at least she doesn't leave it at that dry observation, considering Marianne really does seem flustered about all of this.

So the least she can say is a casual: ]

How about you just cover it up then?

[snowslip]

It's impossible. What if they take the cover away, too?

[ Her pessimism shows as her gaze flicks to the grass, the cobbled path, anywhere but the statue or the young woman calmly observing the situation. Marianne's thought of throwing a cloth over the marble, or at least the part of it that hails her a hero, but would the gardener allow it? Would that draw even more attention to her statue?

Oh, the mortifying ordeal of being known.

Embarrassing as it is to have someone witness her like this, it also gives Marianne a chance to voice thoughts that had been on the back of her mind lately. She begins reluctantly, her voice quiet. ]

I don't want to seem rude because they've been nothing but kind to me, but have the locals ever seemed to act...strangely to you?

[entreats]

[ Ange is about to shrug, say that it's at least worth a try - not a sign of optimism as much as it's the sort of pessimism where she figures they'll probably take it away, but it's not like giving it a try would hurt.

But then Marianne asks that other question, taking Ange's thoughts away from it. In the end the entire statue thing is Marianne's own problem, anyway. It's easier to address this, especially with how often Ange has been thinking about the nature of this place and everything they've found so far. ]

You mean the way they sometimes kind of act like they're part of a cult?

[ Her tone is.. perhaps a little too casual for the topic, though maybe it's just the way it's so emotionless that gives it an air of near-nonchalance. ]

[snowslip]

[ Marianne hadn't wanted to put it that way, but yes, what Ange said had been on her mind for a while now. At first, she had attributed it to a cultural difference. As a believer in the goddess, she understood the townspeople's devotion to their own gods and even admired their passion and benevolence. Still, as time passed, it was difficult not to notice their more zealous behaviors...especially now that she had apparently become an object of worship. ]

I believe they have good intentions at heart, but it's like I'm unable to talk them into seeing any other way.

[ She knows she's not the best at persuasion, far from it, but there had come a point when explaining her point of view felt like her words were falling on deaf ears. ]

1 (hello sorry for the wait!! work etc.)

[strength_of_will]

[ William has been living off the generosity of the innkeeper and the township, much like other Chosen. However, rather than making someone uncomfortable by sharing a room, he sleeps wherever there is free space in the late evenings. He's used to it. A solid floor is only slightly more uncomfortable than a bed of soil and grass.

He's seeking such a place to rest now when he comes across the mountain of mess outside her room. He...tries to step carefully around a pile of precariously balanced items, but a light brush against them knocks the stack over. ]

Oh! I'm sorry! I'll put them back-- ah.

[ Turning just knocks over a different stack as well. William is rooted in place, looking sheepish. ]

[snowslip]

[ The crashing sound makes Marianne look up from the boxing of her candles. Oh dear. ]

That's quite alright. It's my fault.

[ She answers, wringing her hands and looking equally sheepish. She ought be the one to take care of it. He shouldn't trouble himself. She winces as the second stack falls, though her immediate concern isn't for the items themselves... ]

Are you unhurt?

[strength_of_will]

Yes, I'm fine. But your things...

[ He slowly backs out of the crowded space and tries to right the boxes he knocked over. Oh, gods, he hopes that rattling sound isn't broken pottery. ]

Is all of this yours?

[snowslip]

Um, yes. I've somewhat neglected the condition of my room...Let me move this for you.

[ The candles were a crafting project, she sometimes picked herbs and flowers to bring back, and nice townspeople gave her the pots...Her single bedroom wasn't particularly big, and once something went into her room, well, it's a black box where no one is sure what happens inside, only that things tend to never come back out. What's more, she's had it rough, mentally, but she's trying to pull herself together. Tidying up seemed like the natural first step.

Marianne's embarrassed that she's troubled a stranger, and she attempts to quickly move a box out of the way...but where she puts it down just ends up creating a hazard on the other side. ]

[strength_of_will]

[ There is, in the end, no winning with the sheer amount of boxes, he thinks. But the effort is admirable. He carefully nudges a stack a centimetre or so out of the middle of the walkway. ]

You must have been here a while to have so many things. If there's anything you're throwing away I can help you take them out. I'm stronger than I look.

[ He hovers awkwardly, very pointedly trying to avoid looking too closely at her possessions in case she sees it as an invasion of privacy. ]

[snowslip]

It's true it's been a while, but...

[ The other Chosen seem to be getting by fine? Marianne remembers it being chilly when she first arrived, and how she'd kept a shawl on her while going for strolls in the countryside. Now they're nearly through the summer, and she'd exchanged her shawls for sundresses long ago. Time has flown, and she'd let it pass her by not caring if she remained or disappeared, but perhaps it's time to think about what it really means to live her life in Aldrip.

The stranger is kind to offer his help. It flusters her, and she looks down at her hands awkwardly. ]

I'm sorry for the trouble. If you don't mind, would you help me move the boxes downstairs? I have a cart there, and I can have my horse tow it.

iii

[laserguy]

[Sometimes, even when you're an angsty teenager, or because you're one, you just take walks around the Aldrip meadows. Why not? It's not like something will hurt him and it's sort of nice to be out. Better than staring at the roof of his bedroom at the inn.

So, guess it's some weird fate or coincidence that he sees some random girl lying around in the grass and that's cool, she can do that. He's not going to bother her-- or at least he wasn't, until birds start flocking to her still form and oh my god, are they going to eat her?!

Scott starts running over to them, while waving his arms.]

Don't eat her, you assholes!!

[snowslip]

[ Usually, her sleep is light and troubled, or she's plagued by insomnia deep into the night, but due to the flower's peculiar effects, she's fallen into a rare slumber that's long and dreamless. Marianne only awakens when the sound of shouting stirs her from her rest. She rubs her eyes groggily, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

The birds have scattered, leaving only Marianne looking confused in the fragrant meadow. She looks from the flowerbed to the young man wearing sunglasses. ]

What was I...Did something happen?

[laserguy]

[As the birds scatter away, Scott lets out a sigh of relief. That was easy at least! It's sort of nice when things work out without any hitch in his plan and crap, in fact, he wants that to happen more often.

But he looks down at Marianne as she speaks, noticing her confusion.]

You were asleep and those birds were pecking at you.

[He's pretty sure, at least!! He didn't really... wait and see before charging forward like a bull. Well uh, better to be safe than sorry? Besides, they definitely would've at least pooped on her or something, and who wants that?? Yeah, that would've been ultra gross! Scott looks a little more confident as those thoughts sort in his head.]

So, I showed them.

[snowslip]

O-Oh. I'm sure they didn't mean any harm...

[ She hopes the birds weren't too frightened...but that's Marianne, lover of animals. She has such fondness for them she would forgive even the ones that poop on her. His intervention may have spared her a shower.

Knowing the young man could have just walked on by, she appreciates his concern. His approach may be boisterous, but his heart is in the right place. ]

Thank you though. I don't know what came over me. I... [ She suppresses a yawn. The scent from the flowers still lingers in the air, overpowering. ] I felt sleepy all of a sudden.

[laserguy]

Did... you want the birds on you?

[Some of that wind seems to been blown out of his sails because uh, he didn't actually consider that option. Oh dude, is she like a bird lover? Animal keeper? Guess there are people like that, but how was he supposed to know!! Still, Scott feels a little awkward now, even as she thanks him for scaring away her possible bird friends.

It sort of feels like she's just being nice.]

Err, guess the outside does that to people? While enjoying the sun and crap, you suddenly just want to take a nap?

[But as the floral scent begins to permeate the area, Scott suddenly feels tired as well, letting out a rather loud yawn as his eyes droop. Damn, where in the world did that sleepiness come from? Is he just eating his own words now? While keeping his eyes tightly closed, he pushes his sunglasses up just slightly to rub at his eye, before letting them settle back on his face with a grimace.]

Okay, maybe it's power... of suggestion too.

[snowslip]

I always bring them seeds whenever I visit this meadow, so we're old friends by now.

[ She says so sincerely. She's the strange girl who comes to the meadows to feed and speak to the birds. They're good listeners, and they've helped her through many troubled times since she arrived. The birds kept her company as a child when she had no one else to confide in. Lately, she hasn't been visiting them for that reason though. Maybe because animals aren't her only friends now.

As her yawn (and the aroma) spreads to the young man, Marianne frowns tiredly and blinks to keep her eyes open. While it is perfect weather for a nap, and she knows that flowers have calming properties when brewed in tea, this is a bit unnatural...oh, could it be the powers of something at work? ]

Maybe we should take a walk to clear our heads.